Coat-collar spring.



No. 666,238. Patented Jan. l5, I90l.

H. A. SEVIGNE. 6

com COLLAR SPRING.

(Application filed Oct. 15, 1900.)

(No Model.)

\A/ITIJEISSEISZ TINTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRI A. SEVIGNE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HATTIE W. PERKINS, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ADMINISTRATRIX OF EDWIN G. CARLETON, DECEASED.

COAT-COLLAR SPRING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 666,238, dated January 15, 1901.

Application filed October 15, 1900. Serial N0. 33,039. (N0 mod T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRI A. SEVIGNE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coat-Collar Springs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to what are known in the art as coat-collar springs. Such springs are usually formed of a thin strip of resilient sheet metal bent into U shape,with their ends crossed or overlapping, and they are adapted to be placed under the coat-collar with their ends resting under the lapels. The tension of the spring is sufficient to hold the coat more or less closed and to prevent it from sagging open.

One great objection to the use of a coatcollar spring has arisen from its liability to suddenly snap rearward upon removing the coat without having first removed the spring. The act of removing the coat by grasping the edges thereof below the lapels and drawing the said edges apart straightens out the spring, and it slips from under the collar and flies rearwardly, frequently breaking small articles in its path. To prevent this detachment of the spring,vari0us devices have been proposed, among them being the formation of small holes near the ends of the spring through which threads may be passed into the coat, thus permanently securing the spring to the coat. This, however, has not proved to be feasible, since it is desirable to employ the same spring with any one of several coats; but, so far as I am aware, during all the years in which this spring has been upon the market no one has provided it with an attaching device by which it could be so attached to the coat as to prevent it from flying rearward upon removal of the latter.

One object of this present invention is to provide a collar-spring with means for temporarily and detachably securing it to the coat with which it is to be worn.

Another object is to construct the spring so that it may be attached to the coat with its ends in any desired relation to the lapels,

so as to permit the edges of the coat to be maintained at any desired distance from each other.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a collar-spring embodying one form of my invention. Figs. 3 and 4 represent a slightly-different form of the same.

The spring is shown at a. It consists, as stated, of an elongated narrow strip of spring metal bent into substantially ovoid shape or into U form, with the ends crossed. It is placed under the coat-collar with the ends lying under the lapels, so that the tension of the spring will hold the edges of the coat adjacent said lapels close together. According to my invention I taper the ends of the spring to form points I) and bend them rearward to form hooks c. In that form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the points are brought close to the body of the spring, so as to lie in planes parallel thereto. In wearing the spring the rearwardly-bent points are caused to penetrate the fabric on the under face of the lapels and to prevent the spring from being accidentally detached during the removal of the coat. The pressure of the middle portion of the spring againstthe back of the neck of the wearer prevents the hooks from leaving the fabric, because the force exerted by the resiliency of the spring is in the direction toward which the hooks point.

In Figs. 3 and at I have illustrated a preferred construction. The points (1 are curved inwardly and then bent rearwardly at their juncture with the ends of the spring, so that they project rearwardly and laterally inwardly. The ends of the points extend in the direction of the thrust of the ends of the spring after said ends have been separated, so that the constant tendency of the spring is to force the points into the fabric. In other words, the points of the hooks extend substantially in the direction of the force exerted by the resiliency of the strip of spring metal of which the device is composed. Moreover, the points by reason of their extending laterally make it diflicult to accidentally disengage them from the fabric when the ends of the spring are moved longitudinally. The extremity of each point is just above the edge of the spring, and hence a notch e is formed just below each extremity to facilitate inserting the point in the fabric. By forming the hooks as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 they are not liable to injure the fabric. In both embodiments of my invention the hooks are arranged to engage the under face of the coat-lapels, so that in case a thread should be broken or the surface of the cloth should be roughened (though I have so far experienced no such trouble with the device) it would be hidden from view. The hooks may be detachably engaged with the coat at points at any desirable distance from the edge to permit of the lapels being rolled back in a natural manner, and at the same time the coat is held in proper position without the formation of wrinkles in front of the shoulders.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it maybe made or all of the modes of its use, Ldeclare that what I claim is- 1. A coat-collar spring consisting of a narrow strip of resilient metal bent into U form with its ends crossed, said ends being formed or provided with hooks adapted to detachably engage or penetrate the fabric of the coat, the points of the hooks extending substantially in the direction of the force exerted by the resiliency of the spring.

2. A coat-collar spring consisting of a narrow strip of resilient metal bent into U form with its ends crossed, said ends being formed or provided with rearwardly and laterally bent hooks adapted to detachably penetrate the fabric of the coat, the points of the hooks extending substantiallyin the direction of the force exerted by the resiliency of the spring.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRI A. SEVIGNE.

Witnesses:

MARCUS B. MAY, A. D. HARRISON. 

